Marking machine



Patented Aug. 4, 1931 "UNITED STATES HARRY R. FLETCHER, OFBELMONT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO MARKEM MA CHINE COMPANY, OFKEENE, NEW n'A vrPsHInnn CORPORATION or NEW HAMP- SHIRE MARKING MACHINE Application filed August 27, 1929. Serial No. 388,781.

This invention relates to marking machinesand particularly .to marking machines adapted to mark shoe linings, although the 6' marking shoe-linings but canbe used for,

invention is not necessarilylimited to use for I marking other articles.

mark each lining with the case number and with the size and width of the shoe, and also In marking shoelmlngs it is customaryto to mark each lining withaso-called stock number or style number which indicates the style of the shoe. Q'lhe'rnarking machines which are commonly used for marking shoe linings are provided with a-plurality of independently settabletype wheels by'which thecase number and the size number and data type plate which is associated'with the type wheels and is arranged to printthe, stock or. style number on a line directly below the line on which the case number; and size of the 5. shoe are printed. A marking machine of 2 this type is illustrated in U. S. Patents 1,131,- 865," March 16, 1915; and 1,131,866,- March 16, 1915. This manner of marking shoe linings by placing the case number and the data indicating the size of the shoe on onealine and the stock number or style number on another line immediately below the first line has now come to be the general practice in shoe manuthe stock or style number may be printed in,

facturing establishments so that not only those connected with the, shoe manufacturing plant but also the salesmen in the stores in terpret the figures on the upper line of the marking on a shoe lining-as? indicating the case number and those onthe: lower line as indicating the stockor styleinumber.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide a novel marking machine by which its usual position on a line below that carryi ing the case number by the use of rotary or patents and settable type wheels instead of by the type plate such as isshown in-the above mentioned which is now commonly used. The printing head of my improved marking machine therefore will simply have a set of adjustable type wheels, certain of which are constructed to mark the case number and the data indicating the size of the shoe and others of which are adaptedto mark thestock or 7 style number, the latter of which are constructed so that the imprint of the style numand the embodiment thereof will be now described after which thenovel feature will be pointed out in theapp ended claims.

In the drawings: 7 i v v F 1g. 1 is a fragmentaryv side view of the ,printingcouple of a marking machine such indicating the size and width of the shoe are, printed. Theimprint of thestock or case number is commonlyfmade -by means of a' as is shown in the aboveinentioned patents; F 1g. 2 1s an enlarged perspective view ing an imprint of the style number Fig. 3 shows in developed form the type- 1 bearing faces of'a group of type wheels such gs would be used for marking the stock'numheretofore used 1 Fig. 5 illustrates the way a machine cm bodying my invention mark the liningv of a shoe; Y

Fig. 6 is 'a pr nting head embodyingmy invention;

ig. 7is a fragmentary view of one of the type wheels of either-the group .6 or 7.

Since my invention relates simply to. the printing head of a markingrmachine, I have: not thought it necessary to'illustrate' a complete machine. I have, however, shown in Figs. 1 and the printing head 1 of a marking machine which is equipped with a plurality 'of adjustabletype wheels 2,- each type wheel having type-bearing projections 3 carrying the type characters as is usual in marking machines of this type. 4 indicatesthe platen orwork support on which the work to be printed or marked is supported. -It will be understood that the printing head 1 is movable vertically toand from the platen 4 and that some usual means such asithat" fragmentary front view of the showing one of the type wheels used in makof type wheels indicated at 7 .by which the data giving the size and width of the shoe is given. The type wheels of the groups indicated at 6 and 7 are or may be of usual construction and require no further description.

In accordance with my invention I employ a third group of type Wheels indicated at 8 which are designed to print on the lining the style number on a line below that carrying the case number.

Fig. 4 illustrates the usual manner in which shoe linings are marked. Assuming that the case number is 3489 and the shoe is a 7 B, then the type wheels of the 6 and 7 groups will be adjusted so as to print the notation 3489 7 B. Assuming for in stance that the style or stock number is 4882 then according to the usual practice this number will be printed on the lining on a line directly below that carrying the case number and the size of the shoe as seen in Fig. 4:. For accomplishing this with type wheels instead of thetype'plate of the former patents I propose to employ the type wheels of the group 8 each of which is especially made. Each of the type wheels 8 is provided with the type bearing projections 9 each projection carrying on its end face two type characters arranged in the same plane so that they will simultaneously make a printed impression. One of the type characters on each type bearing projection 9 is a number and these number type characters are arranged to imprint the digits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0. The type bearing projections 9 are so shaped and the digit type characters are so placed thereon that when any projection 9 is in printing position the digit or number type character thereon will be imprinted on the Work on a line below that one which the type wheels of the groups '6 and 7 make their printed impression.

For this purpose the type-bearing projections 3 and 9 may be made wider than necessary to support a single type character and the type characters 14 on the type-bearing projections 3 will be placed near one edge of the type projections while the numbertype characters 15 on the type wheels 8 will be adjacent the opposite edge of the projections. This is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 7.

I have also illustrated the type wheels 8 as carrying other type characters 11 which may be of such a character as to print the word style or some similar word in the space directly above the style number. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention one of the type wheels 8 carries on each typebearing projection 9 the letter S in addition to the number type characters. The next type wheel carries the type character T on each of its type-bearing projections. The next type wheel carries the type character Y on each of its type-bearing projections. The next one carries the type character L on each of its type-bearing projections and the other carries the type character E also on its typebearing pro ections. Thus in any setting of the type wheels 8 the word style will be printed. The type characters representing the letters S, T, Y, L, Eare preferably arranged so that they will make a printed impression in the line of the printed impression of the case number and directly above the number indicating the style number. WVith this invention therefore any change in the style or stock number can be quickly made by simply adjusting the type wheels 8. This avoids the necessity of removing a type plate .and inserting another one or of removing a type plate andmak-ing any adjustment of the type therein whenever there is to be a change-in the stocknumber, as is necessary with the construction shown in the above-mentioned patents.

VVi'th my invention therefore it is possible to print the stock number or style number by means of type wheels and in the relative position to which the trade is accustomed.

My invention therefore makes no change in the relative positions of the case number,

stock number, size number, etc., but it provides a construction by which'the marking of shoe linings can be facilitated because o-iithe greater facility by which any changes in the stock number or style number can be made.

I claim:

1. A marking machine comprising a platen and a printing head having a plurality o fv axially aligned independently adjustable type-wheels, each of which has a plurality of type carrying faces adapted to be brought individually into printing position, and certain of said type wheels having type characters arranged to make a printed impression on the same line and other type wheels havlng type characters arranged to make aprinted impression on a line separate from that made by the first-named type wheels, both lines being parallel to the axis of the type wheels.

A marking machine comprising a platen and a printing head having a plurality of axially aligned independently adjustable type wheels, each of which has a plurality of type carrying faces adapted to be brought individually into printing position, and certain of said type wheels having type characters arranged to make a printed impression on the same line which is parallel to the axis of the type wheels and the other type wheels having type characters arranged to make a printed'impress'ion on a line separate from and below that on which the first-named type characters make their printed impression.

3. A marking machine comprising a platen and a printing head having a plurality of axially aligned independently adjustable type wheels, each of which has a plurality 5 of type carrying faces adapted to be brought individually into printing position, and cer-- tain of said type wheels having two sets of type characters, those of one set being arranged to make a printed impression in line 9 with the printed lmpressions made by the other type wheels, and those of the other set being arranged to make a printed impression' on a different line.

4. A marking machine comprising a platen 5 and a printing head having a plurality of axially aligned in dependently adjustable type wheels, each of which has a lurality of type carrying faces adapted to be rought individually into printing position, and certain of said type wheels having type characters arranged to make a printed impression on a line separate from that made by other type wheels, the type characters of the first named set being identical for different wheels.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name tothis specification. I

' HARRY R. FLETCHER. 

